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The Ike MGA Stroke Play Championship History

The Ike tournament was founded in 1953 by Daily News sportswriter Dana Mozley and nurtured through the years by Mozley and former MGA President Matthew Fields Ike WinnerGeorge Sands.

Although always immensely popular, the event suffered during the late 1970s and early ‘80s after The Daily News dropped its sponsorship. In 1986, the MGA (with the financial support of MetLife) purchased the rights to the Ike. With the MGA’s involvement, the event regained its stature and quickly became the area’s premier stroke-play amateur event. The Ike today attracts more entries than any other MGA championship for individuals.

RELATED: Ike Records | Past Champions Gallery | Ike Team History

Despite a long list of outstanding champions — including Goodwin, Gardner, Turnesa, Burns, Zahringer and Thomas — the Ike always will be synonymous with the name Courville. The late Jerry Courville Sr. dominated the event in the 1960s, winning a record six titles between 1961 and 1970 while son Jerry Jr. grabbed the baton with back-to-back victories in 1990 and ‘91. The duo also combined to win three Ike Team Championships for Shorehaven Golf Club.

 

 

Year Champion Runner(s)-up Score Site Results
2023 Melan Dhaubhadel* Christian Cavaliere 203 Brooklawn Scores | Recap
2022 Luke Sample Thomas McCarthy 210 Baltusrol Scores | Recap
2021 Matt Fields Max Buckley 218 The Bridge Scores | Recap
2020 Mark Costanza Ethan Ng 206 CC of Darien Scores | Recap
2019 Dawson Jones Thomas LaMorte 209 Canoe Brook Scores | Recap
2018 Michael Graboyes Chris Gotterup 212 Meadow Brook Scores | Recap
2017 Matt Lowe Thomas LaMorte, Peter Kim, Matt Mattare 205 Century Scores | Recap
2016 Cameron Young* Peter Kim 203 Essex County Scores | Recap
2015 Cameron Young Stewart Hagestad 206 Friar's Head Scores | Recap
2014 David Pastore Sam Bernstein 208 Montclair Scores | Recap
2013 Cameron Wilson Max Buckley 203 Wykagyl Scores | Recap
2012 Cameron Wilson Max Buckley, Joe Saladino 208 Atlantic Scores | Recap
2011 Tommy McDonagh Joe Saladino 211* Somerset Hills Scores | Recap
2010 Mike Ballo Jr. Brian Komline 208 Metropolis  
2009 Mike Ballo Jr. Chris DeForest 207 Nassau Scores | Recap
2008 Kevin Foley Morgan Hoffmann 207 Mountain Ridge Scores | Recap
2007 George Zahringer Andreas Huber 219 Fenway Scores
2006 Roger Hoit Andrew Giuliani, Joe Saladino 208 Fresh Meadow Scores | Recap
2005 Andrew Giuliani Mike Stamberger 220* Plainfield Scores
2004 George Zahringer Andrew Svoboda 207 Quaker Ridge Scores
2003 Brad Tilley Jerry Courville Jr. 214 Meadow Brook Scores
2002 Johnson Wagner Allan Small 203 Montclair  
2001 George Zahringer Andrew Svoboda 213 Fairview  
2000 Ken MacDonald Marc Turnesa 208 Nassau  
1999 Ken MacDonald Jeff Thomas 216 Hollywood  
1998 Greg Rohlf Mike Deo, D.J. Lewin, Jeff Putman 211 Wykagyl  
1997 Jerry Courville Jr. J.J. Henry 207 Meadow Brook  
1996 Jeff Thomas Edward Gibstein 220 Metedeconk National  
1995 Jeffrey Putman Todd Kozlowski, Alberto Valenzuela, Jerry Courville Jr. 224 Winged Foot (East)  
1994 Edward Gibstein Jerry Courville Jr. 216 Bethpage Black  
1993 George Zahringer Tom Hamilton 213 Preakness Hills  
1992 Mike Muehr George Zahringer 206 Shorehaven  
1991 Jerry Courville Jr. Jeff Thomas 214* Old Westbury  
1990 Jerry Courville Jr. Jeff Thomas, John Baldwin, Bob Housen 220 Upper Montclair  
1989 George Zahringer Jon Doppelt Allan Small 218 Stanwich  
1988 Robert Byrnes Ralph Howe III 218 Garden City GC  
1987 Mike Kavka Jim McGovern 215 Essex County  
1986 John C. Baldwin George Zahringer 212 Tuxedo  
1985 No Competition        
1984 Jon Saxton Jeff Thomas 213* North Hills  
1983 Jon Saxton Mark Diamond 221 North Hills  
1982 Mike Diffley George Zahringer 218 North Hills  
1981 Jon Saxton Jerry Courville Jr. 215 North Hills  
1980 No Competition        
1979 No Competition        
1978 Jimmy Dee Bob Housen 216 Upper Montclair  
1977 Mike Giacini Mike Mattwell 147* North Hills  
1976 Bob Housen John Parsons 215 Wykagyl  
1975 Chet Sanok Jay Blumenfeld, George Haines 221* Upper Montclair  
1974 George Burns III Pete Bostwick Jr. 214 Wheatley Hills  
1973 Mike Ford Kevin Morris 218 Knollwood  
1972 John Ruby Jerry Courville Sr. 206 Forest Hill  
1971 Gene Francis Pete Bostwick Jr. 218 Wheatley Hills  
1970 Jerry Courville Sr. John Gentile Jr. 211 Bonnie Briar  
1969 Jerry Courville Sr. Bob Housen 211 Bonnie Briar  
1968 Denny Lyons Russ Helwig 213 Wykagyl  
1967 Jerry Courville Sr. Denny Lyons 210 Wykagyl  
1966 James E. Fisher Dick Siderowf 211* Wykagyl  
1965 Jerry Courville Sr. Denny Lyons 216* Wykagyl  
1964 Jerry Courville Sr. Mike Mattwell 290 Winged Foot  
1963 Robert Gardner Dick Siderowf 290 Winged Foot  
1962 Robert Gardner Roger Ginsberg 281 Tamarack /Whippoorwill  
1961 Jerry Courville Sr. Clem Miner Jr. 280 Tamarack / Whippoorwill  
1960 Robert Gardner Jerry Courville Sr. 286 Tamarack / Whippoorwill  
1959 Paul Kelly Robert Gardner 289 Tamarack /Whippoorwill  
1958 Willie Turnesa Joe Kryla Jr. 291 Tamarack / Whippoorwill  
1957 Willie Turnesa Pete Arend 280 Tamarack / Whippoorwill  
1956 Tommy Goodwin Frank Strafaci 289 Tamarack / Whippoorwill  
1955 Bob Kuntz Frank Strafaci 288 Tamarack / Whippoorwill  
1954 Tommy Goodwin Roy Faber 141 Tamarack  
1953 George Berggren & Bob Wilki Jimmy Manzone, Willie Turnesa 150# 143# Bethpage (Black)  
  # Tournament had a private and public champion. * Winner decided by playoff.